The Prelude: Stealing the Boat Flashcards
Who wrote this poem?
William Wordsworth
What is Wordsworth afraid of in the poem?
A huge mountain that looms over the lake.
Describe how Wordsworth is haunted by the mountain.
He has nightmares about it and keeps remembering it days after the incident.
What might the mountain resemble in the poem?
It could show how the world is bigger than him and there is more to the planet than Wordsworth and it shows him growing up and how much of a profound realisation this is for him.
What genre of poem is The Prelude?
It is an extract from an Epic poem written by Wordsworth that describes all his life in one huge poem.
Where might the Volta be in this poem?
When he sees the mountain the whole feel of the poem changes from being romantic on a lovely summers night as Wordsworth takes the boat and rows into the lake. He sees the mountain and is traumatised before rowing back to shore, disturbed.
What other role could the mountain be playing in the poem?
It could also be a warning sign to Wordsworth not to steal the boat and it could potentially resemble his dead parents telling him not to do what he is doing.
What themes about War and Conflict can be seen in the poem?
Reality of nature
Power of nature
Potentially violent imagery as he’s stealing a boat although that’s not very plausible.
When was the poem written?
In the 1700’s.
How is Wordsworth stealing the boat presented at the start of the poem?
It is seen almost romantically as he “lustily dips the oars into the lake” and it is a Utopian scene as he sails into the lake.
How was WW being an orphan affect his life?
He was depressed sometimes and unsure about life and he didn’t have many partners or friends throughout his life and he was somewhat a loner.
How do the stanzas in the poem relate to it being part of an Epic poem?
It is in different parts which may represent the journey he takes through his life or all as one as life is one big adventure with mishaps and different happenings along the way.
How does the power of nature explored in the prelude link to Storm on the Island?
Storm on the island expresses the raw power of nature and the environmental effects this has on people and the world around them. Forced to hunker down in their built up homes that are dug into the ground to deter the storms effects is similar to the effect nature has on Wordsworth as the mountain makes him scared and frightened and he realizes the world is bigger than he is. Wordsworth is scared by the mountain and the islanders are scared by the storm which both show the psychological effects nature can have on the brain and how people may think differently about things and change their behaviors because of what nature expresses it can do.
